Rope-stranding machine



6 Sheets-Sheet im; fa/wry E. H. SHovE ROPE STRANDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 27, 1927 May 7, 1929.

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May 7 1929' E. H. sHovE ROPE STRANDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 27, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zwem?? Filed Aug. 27, 1927 e sheets-sheet 3 Inventor.'

May 7, 1929. E. H. sHovE ROPE STRANDING" MACHINE Filed Aug. 27, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 l Inventor.

mnesses May 7, 1929. E. H. sHovE:

,ROPE STRANDNG MACHINE Filed' Aug. 27,

1927 6 Sheets-Sheet Wues'es May 7, 1929. E. H. sHovE ROPE STRANDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 27, 1927 e sheets-sheet 6 Patented May 7, 1929.

4unirsi) STATES NParleur OFFICE.

EDWARD HAROLDSHOVE, OF W'ES'IIVILLE,A QONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 THE A13/[ERL AN STEEL AND WIRE COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW ROPE-STRANDIHG MACHINE.

Application filed August 27, 1927. Serial No. 215,861.

llhis invention relates to stranding ma` chines tor stranding wi re cables and the like, and more particularly toA stranding machines ot the planetary type, and has for its object the provision of a machine of this type having a novel construction wherehy a machine maybe provided havin g more than three bays in each unit and may be operated at a materially laster speed than machines of the planetary type heretofore in use.

Planetary stranding machines as hereto* tore constructed have generally been limited to a maximum oi two bays in each unit due to the manner in which the spool carriers or cradles were mounted and7 theretordit was necessary to build the two bays oit considerable diameter in order to carry the eighteen or more spools, and this great diameter, together with other features of their construe tion, necessitated a comparatively slow rota' tion lor the machine and necessarily limited their production over a given time.

liny the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention as applied to one unit cit' a stranding machine and it will be understood that two or three, and sometimes more, such units are set end for end and combined to form one machine. However, since said units are duplicates of each other, illustration of one unit is thought to be suli'icient.

Figure 1 is a partial side elevation of a stranding machine constructed in accordance with this invention.

F inure 1a is a continuation oi' the side elevationcontinued from the line KMX of Fignre 1. i

Figure 2 is an enlargedside elevation of the rear end portion of the machine, partly in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation ot the central portion ot the machine, partly in section. j

Figure 4r is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, et the 'forward part or head end ot the machine. i

F ignre 5 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line V-V of Figure 2L Figure 6 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line Vl--VI et F ignre 1. l

Figure 'i' is a schematic plan illustrating the spiral aiurangement` of the cradles or spool holders. i

Reterringmore particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates the base of the unit and the numerals 3 and 4- designate the entering and discharge or twisting-end housings, respectively.

A shalft 5 extends the entire length ot the machine `and is journaled in suitable bear ings in the end housings 3 and et. The housingI 3 atthe entering end of the unit is hollow and :torms a 'housing for suitable drive gearing G. Power is adapted to be delivered to the shaft 5 through the gearing 6 from a motor (not shown). The twisting-end housing 4l has an extension 7 on which the die S is slidably mounted and adapted to be moved by a screw rod 9 having a hand-wheel 10.

A series oit' seven circular spider members 12 are keyed to the shaft 5 in spaced relation to each other and the spaces between said spiders form what is known in the art bays. Threestrand spool holders or cradles 13 are mounted at equally spaced in tervals in each of said bays with their trun nionends 13a journaled in suitable hearings 14 mounted in bearing); openings 15 in the spider members at either side ot the hay.

rllhe spool holders or cradles in each successive bay from the rear or entering end bay forwardly are offset an equal distance in the same direction relative to the spool carriers in the preceding bay, so that said spool carriers deitine a spiral path around said central shaft 5 from end to end of said unit.

The rear trunnion ends 13L of the spool carriers 13 in the rear or entering end hay project beyond the rearrnost spider 12 and are keyed to one end ot craulnarm members 1G, which members have their other ends jour naled in bearings 17 mounted in a crankringr 19 which has a center of rotation below the center of rotation of said central shaft a distance equal to the length of said crank members 16. A pair of hold-down rollers 2O are ournaled onstub-sha 21 mounted in the end housing 3, and project into and engage the lower portion of the crank-ring 19 so as tocompcl it to maintain its ott-center position during the revolving; et said unit.

The forward trunnion en ds of the spool can riers 13 in the rear bay project beyond the spider 12 in which they are journaled and carry pinions 22 which mesh with i'dlenpinions 23, and the idler-pinions 23 mesh with pinions 24; secured to the rear trunnion ends ot the spool carriers in the next hay, which 2 f Y ,e 1,712,406

spool carriers are offset relative to the spool carriers in the rearmost bay as prevlously dei scribed.

The forward trunnion ends ofthe spool carriers in the second bay are provided with the gear `connection described above, which connects them to the next forwardly succeeding set of spool carriers, and each successive set of spool carriers is similarly connected to the preceding ones in a similar manner.

yThe foremost set of spool carriers 13 have their forward trunnion ends 13HL projected beyond the foremost spider and are provided with a pinion 26 which is keyed thereto. The pinions 26 are meshed with idler pinions 27, which are in turn meshed with'pinions 28 keyed to shafts 29 having their rear ends journaled in bearings 30 in the foremost spider 12 and their forward ends ournaled in bearings 31 in a spider bearing ring 32 keyed to the center'shaft 5;

The forward ends ofthe shafts 29 project beyond the bearing ring 32 and are keyed to `one end .of crank-arm members 33, which crank-arm members have their other ends journaled in bearings 34 mounted 1n a crankring 35, which ring has a center of rotation below the center of rotation of said central shaft 5 a distance equal to the length of said crank-arms 33. A pair of hold-down rollers ,34a are journaled on stub-shafts 35a mounted inthe end housing 4 and project in to and engage the crank-ring 35 to compel it to travel in offset position during the rotation of said unit.

The cranlearm members 33 and the crankarm members 16 and crank-rings 19 and 35 kco-operate`to swing or rotate the strand carriers or cradles so as to maintain their transverse axis in a horizont-al position throughout the rotation' of the unit. If, for any reason, either one of the crank-rings 19er 35, or their associated parts, should become broken, the other set of cranks and ring will serve to operate the strand carriers or cradle.

' The strand spool carriers or cradles 13 have an yannular body portion which is slotted at each side as at 38 to form bearing slots in which spools v39 carrying the strand wires of the cabl'eare journaled. The forward trunnion end 13a of each strand spool carrier is provided with a centrally arranged aperture 40 through which the strand wire from the spool in said carrier is threaded so as to project into the next hay.

yA sheave supporting collar 41 having three sheaves 42 thereon is 'secured on the shaft 5 at a point between the bearingring 32 and crank-ring 35, and alsoat approximately the center of each bay except the rearmost bay. The strand wires from the spools 39, after passing through the forward trunnion ends 13 of the carriers 13, are adapted to be passed under the sheaves 42 in the next bay, and then to be passed parallel to and in close proximity to the shaft 5. Suitable openings 43 and 44 are provided in each of the spiders 12 and sheave collars 41, respectively, th rough which the strand wires are threaded and passed to the forward end of the unit.

The shaft 5 is hollow or bored throughout its length to permit the passage of a core strand therethrough as previously deserilmd and a twister head 45 is mounted at the forward end of the shaft 5 and is adapted to, twist the strand wires on the core in the usual manner. The twister head is provided with a centrally arranged aperture through which the core strand is passed.

The strand wires are passed through the apertures 40 in the forward trunnion ends 13'lL of the spool carriers 13 and then trained downwardly and under the sheaves 42 and then parallel with the shaft 5, as previously described. At the forward end of the shaft 5 the strand wires are trained over the twister-head or disk 45 and then around the core strand. The core strand and strand wires are then secured to a suitable take-up and pull-out mechanism (not shown) which, when the machine is set in motion, will pull the strand wires and core through the machine and the twister-head will he rotated to lay the strand wires spirally around the core strand.

The shafts 29 at the head end of the machine are necessary in order to offset the crank-arm members 33 so as to take such crank-arms out of the path of the strand wires from the forwardmost bay.

The spiral arrangement of the strand spool carriers and the arrangement of the sheave collars 41 so as to permit the training of the strand wires parallel and in close )roximity to the central shaft 5, are radical epartures from the design of stranding machines heretofore used and the arrangement of these parts is essential to the relatively small diameter high speed machine of this invention.

I claim 1. In a planetary cable stranding machine, a unit comprising a pair of end members, a hollow central shaft journaled in said members, a plurality of spider disks secured on said shaft at spaced intervals so as to form more than three bays, at least three spool carriers mounted in each of said bays and journaled in the spider disks. said spool carriers in each successive bay being offset in the same direction relative to the spool carriers in the preceding bays so that said spool carriers define a. spiral path around said central shaft, means for maintaining the transverse axis of said spool carriers in a horizontal plane while said central shaft, spiders and spools are being rotated, spools of strand wires adapted to be journaled in said spool carriers, and means including sheaves carried by said central shaft and apertures in said spiders spaced around and extending parallel With the longitudinal axis of said central shaft whereby the individual strands from said spools may he trained down from said respective spool carriers Within the confines oi? the next succeeding hay and arranged in lparallel relation and in Close proximity to said central shaft out of the path of travel of the remainingI spool Carriers and a. twister head at the forward end of said central shaft adapted to twist said strands.

2. ln a planetary cable stranding' machine, a unit comprising a pair of end members, a hollow Central shait jonrnaled in said end members, a plurality of spider disks secured on said sha'ift at spaced intervals so as to i'orm more than three hays, spool Carriers mounted in each oil' said hays and journaled in the spider disks7 geaorinn` connecting` the spool carriers oi each hay with the spool Carriers oil the next succeeding bay7 a `bearing;- ring keyed to said Central shaft at a point spaced forwardly :from the foremost spider disk, a plie rality oi? shafts each oi Which. has one end jonrnaled in said foremost spider disk and its other end journaled in said hearing ring, gearing connecting' the forward ends of the spool Carriers in the foremost bay With said shafts, Crank members having one end Connected to said shafts, other crank members having' one end connected to the rear trunnion ends ofthe spool carriers in the rearniost hay, said, cranks connected to saidshaiil's and said cranks connected to the trunnions of the spool Carriers in the rearinost hay havingr their other ends journaled in hearings mounted in crank rings having a center of rotation below the center of rotation of said central shaft a distance equal to the length oi said Crank me1nhers, inerme ilor maintainin said Crank rings in their oli-Center position during the rotation ot said unit, and means ior rotating said central shaft and associated parts.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

EDWARD HAROLD SHOVE. 

